


Cut through the Silence

by Roadgoeseveronandon



Category: Turn (TV 2014)
Genre: Gen, Missing Scene, cause we needed more Laf and Ham, coda 2x08
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-24
Updated: 2016-07-24
Packaged: 2018-07-26 13:11:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7575235
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Roadgoeseveronandon/pseuds/Roadgoeseveronandon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ben,"It woke me last night as well, Sir"</p><p>Ben is woken up by the cannon fire and talks with Lafayette and Hamilton about Benedict Arnold.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cut through the Silence

BOOM!

Benjamin Tallmadge startled awake at the loud echoing blast of cannon fire. It seemed like he had only just managed to close his eyes before the noise had him jumping awake again. It had taken a few hours for the Head of Intelligence to settle for the night in a small backroom of the Arnolds’ new home at West Point. Confused, he almost thought he imaged the sound, just as a second blast followed the first. 

Ben sat up, pushing his unbound hair out of his face, noticing Alexander Hamilton still slept in the opposite bed. Years of war must have allowed the lieutenant colonel to adjust to sleeping through all types of noise.

The small window in the room pointed to the back of the fort, Ben saw nothing amiss in that direction. Quietly picking up his pistol, the Major decided to let his roommate sleep and slip, barefoot, out of the room. It was quiet in the house, Lafayette’s door across the hall was still closed and the General’s and the Arnolds’ rooms were upstairs.

Muscles tense with anxiety, Ben made it to the fore room just in time to see the flash of another cannon blast out the window.

Ben had his hand on the front door knob, about to exit, when he heard a whispered, “Major,” suddenly behind him.

Ben whipped around, pistol raised, to the face of Alexander Hamilton. “Sir,” Ben stammered, immediately lowered his firearm. “Forgive me, Sir. I didn’t –“

“It’s alright,” Hamilton interrupted, waving him down, “I should remember to be careful when startling a soldier.”

The aide-de-camp was, like Ben, in his sleep clothes, his bright, rust colored hair loose about his shoulders, though he had taken the time to put on his blue, outer coat over them. The smaller man walked to the dining room window, gesturing for Ben to follow. “If there was real trouble, there would have been a messenger sent directly and Franks would not be standing idle at the door.” Hamilton said, referring to the sentry, just outside. Hamilton looked back Dragoon, “but you have been on edge since we got here,” he added, nonchalantly. His sharp tongue cutting straight to the point.

Ben did not contradict him, although Hamilton almost always seemed to have his nose in reports, quill in hand, he did not miss much, if anything at all.

“Yes, Sir,” Ben agreed, but did not elaborate. He had been feeling unsettled around General Arnold for some time, probably since the ball in Philadelphia.

Ben did not know Hamilton well. He had mostly worked with the man on a professional level as Washington’s chief of staff. Ben often had to go through Hamilton before meeting the General, when the nature of his work did not constitute an emergency. He knew Hamilton as a brash, out-spoken, intelligent man. But Ben knew he liked him, especially after hearing about the duel with Charles Lee that Hamilton seconded John Laurens in.

“What troublez youz, Major?” A soft, accented question filtered behind them. Marquis de Lafayette joined the two in the quiet room. The French man looked at Ben with a soft, open expression, genuinely interested in his response.

Ben was quiet, for a moment. The two officers outranked him, but all three were of almost the same age. Each from three different parts of the world, France, the Caribbean, and America, brought together on for a united goal, a united country.

He opened his mouth and closed it again without speaking, hesitant to speak against his superior officer.

“Fear not,” Hamilton said, guessing the reason for his reluctance, “nothing said here will be repeated nor its speaker named.” Lafayette nodded his agreement. “Besides, we are just a few gents out for a midnight chat, over cannon fire.” Hamilton continued with his reputed cheekiness. However, the cannons had since silenced.

Deciding the safest course of action was a more obscure route, Ben began, “I do not have a wife or a sweet heart,” ignoring the questioning look Lafayette and Hamilton shared, he plowed forward. “However, if one were to be newly engaged and sharing the happiness with their peers, one would expect the couple to be. . . happy,” he finished lamely, feeling his argument wither as he voiced it and as both officers looked more puzzled by his trail of thought.

Lafayette smiled wistfully, “When my Adrienne and I married, it was almozt as if there waz none else in the room. We only had eyez for each other.” The Frenchman grinned, when Hamilton nudged his shoulder.

“Speak plainly, Major. It is much too late to compose riddles.” Hamilton stated, as he yawned into the palm of his hand.

Ben quickly reviewed his experiences, explaining the coldness and aloof manner the couple had for each other at Penn Manor. Once started, Ben charged ahead with all the contrite of his minuscule observations that had been building in the back of his mind. “And here, General Arnold has command of a critical fort for the continentals, respect of the army, and a beautiful wife, yet seems so –“

“Constipé?” Lafayette supplied, sharing a knowing smile with Hamilton, who was fluent in his native tongue. Lafayette was still smarting from the uncalled for distain thrown at him from the Fort commander earlier in the day, only placated by General Washington’s intervention on his peoples’ behalf.

 

Ben shook his head, blond hair falling into his face. “Please, Sirs. Forget I said anything,” doubting himself. “I fear I have spent so much time looking in the shadows, I can no longer see the light in people. Even my own comrades.”

 

“Non, Major Tallmadge,” Lafayette argued. “In the hardest of timez, we must be able to trust our instincts. And the General has zpoken highly of your constitutions.” He smiled when Ben looked up in surprise at General Washington’s praise. The Major had a difficult job. Fighting not only against the British, but also ensure there were no threats at home. It is a very isolating position he was in. Lafayette did not doubt the stress Ben was under to ensure the civilians under his watch were safe, especially after the death of the man’s mentor. In the continental camp no less.

 

“There is much more than is being said here,” Hamilton added. “The old man has to spend so much time being a bridge between our forces, none can fault him for missing a few nails. He needs us to make sure nothing is past aside.” Hamilton looked pointedly at Ben, “No matter how unnecessary it may appear.”

 

Lafayette clapped a hand on Ben’s shoulder, “He es right, Major Tallmadge. Together we can protect the General,” bring his fist to his heart. Ben, was silent, nodding his agreement, though still unsettled deep in his core.

 

“Well then,” Hamilton waved them both in the direction of the bedrooms. “It seems the excitement is over, let us be off to bed, gentlemen. It is a rarity to have enclosed walls, and I intend to take full advantage of the opportunity.”


End file.
